diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 09cf1b299..7c59528c0 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
+2009-02-11  Matthias Clasen  <mclasen@redhat.com>
+
+	Bug 557921 – [PATCH] Sound event support to metacity
+
+	Patch by Lennart Poettering
+
+	* configure.in: Require libcanberra-gtk
+
+	* src/core/bell.c (meta_bell_notify): Play the alert sound from
+	the sound theme instead of the dreaded system bell.
+
+	* src/core/workspace.c (meta_workspace_activate_with_focus): Play
+	a sound on workspace switch.
+
 2009-02-11  Thomas Thurman  <tthurman@gnome.org>
 
         Session must be saved before display close, and display
diff --git a/src/core/bell.c b/src/core/bell.c
index 1b6022c84..d399e0ed8 100644
--- a/src/core/bell.c
+++ b/src/core/bell.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include "bell.h"
 #include "screen-private.h"
 #include "prefs.h"
+#include <canberra-gtk.h>
 
 /**
  * Flashes one entire screen.  This is done by making a window the size of the
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ bell_flash_window_frame (MetaWindow *window)
  */
 static void
 bell_flash_frame (MetaDisplay *display, 
-		       XkbAnyEvent *xkb_ev)
+		  XkbAnyEvent *xkb_ev)
 {
   XkbBellNotifyEvent *xkb_bell_event = (XkbBellNotifyEvent *) xkb_ev;
   MetaWindow *window;
@@ -280,6 +281,46 @@ meta_bell_notify (MetaDisplay *display,
   /* flash something */
   if (meta_prefs_get_visual_bell ()) 
     bell_visual_notify (display, xkb_ev);
+
+  if (meta_prefs_bell_is_audible ()) 
+    {
+      ca_proplist *p;
+      XkbBellNotifyEvent *xkb_bell_event = (XkbBellNotifyEvent*) xkb_ev;
+      MetaWindow *window;
+      int res;
+
+      ca_proplist_create (&p);
+      ca_proplist_sets (p, CA_PROP_EVENT_ID, "bell-window-system");
+      ca_proplist_sets (p, CA_PROP_EVENT_DESCRIPTION, _("Bell event"));
+      ca_proplist_sets (p, CA_PROP_CANBERRA_ENABLE, "1");
+
+      window = meta_display_lookup_x_window (display, xkb_bell_event->window);
+      if (!window && (display->focus_window) && (display->focus_window->frame))
+        window = display->focus_window;
+
+      if (window)
+        { 
+          ca_proplist_sets (p, CA_PROP_WINDOW_NAME, window->title);
+          ca_proplist_setf (p, CA_PROP_WINDOW_X11_XID, "%lu", (unsigned long)window->xwindow);
+          ca_proplist_sets (p, CA_PROP_APPLICATION_NAME, window->res_name);
+          ca_proplist_setf (p, CA_PROP_APPLICATION_PROCESS_ID, "%d", window->net_wm_pid);
+        }
+
+      /* First, we try to play a real sound ... */
+      res = ca_context_play_full (ca_gtk_context_get (), 1, p, NULL, NULL);
+
+      ca_proplist_destroy (p);
+
+      if (res != CA_SUCCESS && res != CA_ERROR_DISABLED)
+        {      
+          /* ...and in case that failed we use the classic X11 bell. */
+          XkbForceDeviceBell (display->xdisplay, 
+                              xkb_bell_event->device, 
+                              xkb_bell_event->bell_class, 
+                              xkb_bell_event->bell_id, 
+                              xkb_bell_event->percent);
+        }
+    }
 }
 #endif /* HAVE_XKB */
 
@@ -321,8 +362,7 @@ meta_bell_init (MetaDisplay *display)
       XkbChangeEnabledControls (display->xdisplay,
 				XkbUseCoreKbd,
 				XkbAudibleBellMask,
-				meta_prefs_bell_is_audible () 
-				? XkbAudibleBellMask : 0);
+                                0);
       if (visual_bell_auto_reset) {
 	XkbSetAutoResetControls (display->xdisplay,
 				 XkbAudibleBellMask,
diff --git a/src/core/workspace.c b/src/core/workspace.c
index ddb2541f6..a0170a688 100644
--- a/src/core/workspace.c
+++ b/src/core/workspace.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "prefs.h"
 #include <X11/Xatom.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <canberra-gtk.h>
 
 void meta_workspace_queue_calc_showing   (MetaWorkspace *workspace);
 static void set_active_space_hint        (MetaScreen *screen);
@@ -306,6 +307,63 @@ meta_workspace_queue_calc_showing  (MetaWorkspace *workspace)
     }
 }
 
+static void workspace_switch_sound(MetaWorkspace *from,
+                                   MetaWorkspace *to) {
+
+  MetaWorkspaceLayout layout;
+  int i, nw, x, y, fi, ti;
+  const char *e;
+
+  nw = meta_screen_get_n_workspaces(from->screen);
+  fi = meta_workspace_index(from);
+  ti = meta_workspace_index(to);
+
+  meta_screen_calc_workspace_layout(from->screen,
+                                    nw,
+                                    fi,
+                                    &layout);
+
+  for (i = 0; i < nw; i++)
+    if (layout.grid[i] == ti)
+      break;
+
+  if (i >= nw) {
+    meta_bug("Failed to find destination workspace in layout\n");
+    goto finish;
+  }
+
+  y = i / layout.cols;
+  x = i % layout.cols;
+
+  /* We priorize horizontal over vertical movements here. The
+     rationale for this is that horizontal movements are probably more
+     interesting for sound effects because speakers are usually
+     positioned on a horizontal and not a vertical axis. i.e. your
+     spatial "Woosh!" effects will easily be able to encode horizontal
+     movement but not such much vertical movement. */
+
+  if (x < layout.current_col)
+    e = "desktop-switch-left";
+  else if (x > layout.current_col)
+    e = "desktop-switch-right";
+  else if (y < layout.current_row)
+    e = "desktop-switch-up";
+  else if (y > layout.current_row)
+    e = "desktop-switch-down";
+  else {
+    meta_bug("Uh, origin and destination workspace at same logic position!\n");
+    goto finish;
+  }
+
+  ca_context_play(ca_gtk_context_get(), 1,
+                  CA_PROP_EVENT_ID, e,
+                  CA_PROP_EVENT_DESCRIPTION, "Desktop switched",
+                  NULL);
+
+ finish:
+  meta_screen_free_workspace_layout (&layout);
+}
+
 void
 meta_workspace_activate_with_focus (MetaWorkspace *workspace,
                                     MetaWindow    *focus_this,
@@ -320,6 +378,9 @@ meta_workspace_activate_with_focus (MetaWorkspace *workspace,
   if (workspace->screen->active_workspace == workspace)
     return;
 
+  if (workspace->screen->active_workspace)
+    workspace_switch_sound(workspace->screen->active_workspace, workspace);
+
   /* Note that old can be NULL; e.g. when starting up */
   old = workspace->screen->active_workspace;